Hardships
by LilSis0401
Summary: Melinda meets a new ghost who just happens to be the mother of a rebeling teen witha father that could care less. Will Melinda be able to change the mothers views on her daughters current lover before someone gets really hurt?
1. The Rowans

Malinda stood behind the counter of her shop bored by the infrequent visits. delia had gone out for coffee not to long ago and no ghosts had bugged her today. With a sigh she closed the parenting magazine she was looking through and rested her head in her palms, as she looked up she saw a man heading towards her shop with a teenage girl by his side and an older blond yelling in his ear.

"Dad, seriously? Doesn't grandma have enough antiques? I think she would rather have a computer that was actually to date, even working." The teen said as they walked in. She had long brown, wavy hair and wore a small jean miniskirt, chains hanging from it, black heeled boots, and a shirt that showed her belly button.

"I cannot believe you let her out like this what kind of father are you!" The blond yelled. Melinda knew right away she was long gone.

"Why she's so old its not like she is going to even live long enough to turn it on." The Man said. He was balding, brown hair, kind of chubby, had a New York accent. Dressed like a slob.

"What! I cannot believe you just said that about my mother!" The blond yelled again. Melinda watched the Man rub his head as the teen rolled her eyes and folded her arms.

"Um hello, can I help you?" Melinda said from the counter.

"Yeah sweet cheeks, we just need a small little, thing, little ones grandma is havin' yet another birthday, and I'm short on ideas." The man said. Melinda looked at the man baffled.

"Uh, yea I suppose, um how small are you wanting to go?" Melinda asked her eyes glancing from the daughter to the blond.

"Pretty much the cheapest thing you got."

"Ok Mr.?"

"Rowans. Christopher Rowans." The balding man stated holding his hand out. Melinda shook it with a fake smile.

"Melinda Gordon, here let me just check the back real quick."

"Do you have a bathroom?" The girl asked with some attitude.

"Yes I do its in the back. I'll show you." Melinda said guiding the brunette to the back. When the two broke off Melinda saw the blond standing outside of the bathroom door.

"Hey, can I help you?" She asked in a whisper. The blond looked at her a little shocked.

"You can see me?" Melinda nodded.

"Yes, its my gift." The blond raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like a nightmare, but it can't be nearly as bad as being the dead one," she paused.

"She's smoking in there you know. Started to a week after I passed." Melinda saw the tears begin to swell up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but what about her father does he not know?" The blond scoffed.

"No, he does, but he doesn't care, hell if it were up to him Amy would be gone by now, but she has nowhere to go, my mom, her grandmother is turning 98 tomorrow, I don't have any brothers or sisters, and neither does he." The blond explained. Melinda sighed. She felt bad for the woman.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Brittany." The blond replied.

"Well Brittany, do you want me to knock or something? Scare her out?" The blond looked at her with an extremely pathetic face.

"Why, its not like that would make her quit, besides she doesn't listen to me why would she listen to you?" Melinda's head fell and she grabbed a small vase that was sitting on a table close to her.

"Ok sir this is just twenty dollars, and its in great shape." Melinda said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"Alright, hang on let me just find…" He reached into his wallet and pulled out a ten a five and a couple one's.

"Shit, only eighteen, where's that good for nothing," he mumbled under his breath looking around for Amy.

"AMY!" he called. She soon emerged from the restroom looking a little more relaxed than before.

"What!" She yelled back .

"I need, two dollars." Her father said. She only rolled her eyes and searched through her purse scavenging for money.

"Here," She said placing the money on the table.

"Lets go." she said storming off towards the door. The man followed and then the blond. Melinda sighed and was curious as to why Brittany and Chris had even gotten together in the first place.

"Oh hello hope you found everything ok." delia said with a smile carrying two coffee's.

"Thank you." The man said. Melinda watched them as they got into his pick-up.

"Hey, here you go." She said with a smile.

"Thanks." Melinda said.

"Something wrong?" delia asked. Melinda sighed.

"Oh just the usual dysfunctional family with a mother attached to them." She said.

"Oh is that all." Delia replied smiling. Melinda smiled back.

"It's just so sad, the father doesn't even care about his daughter smoking, and then he basically only bought that antique because the mothers mom is turning 98, and he thinks she's going to croak soon."

"How awful." Delia said taking a sip of her coffee. Melinda nodded doing the same. She watched as the father got in the car but the girl stayed out. She looked around the square before leaning into the window telling her dad something. Melinda slowly made her way to the window at the front of the store. She watched as the car drove off leaving the girl, watched as the girl waited on a bench, listening to her music. And watched as another girl came up to her smiling covering her eyes and then quickly pecking her lips.

"What is she DOING!" The blond yelled.

"Oh," Melinda yelped as she jumped in fright.

"Um Delia, you know I think I left some uh, inventory out of the check list thing, so."

"Is there someone here?" Delia asked. Melinda only nodded and Delia quickly resorted to the basement.

"That's disgusting, that's a SIN!" Brittany yelled. Melinda looked at her sympathetically.

"You didn't know?"

"Of course I didn't know! That girl corrupted her! I can't believe this, I'm never going to see my daughter happy!" The blond cried. Melinda looked back out the window. The two girls seemed incredibly happy from what she could see. They sat close, the Auburn haired girl playing with Amy's hair. Amy's smiled brightly, tapped her lips twice and the Auburn haired girl pecked them.

"She looks pretty delirious to me." Melinda said not quiet understanding why Brittany was so upset.

"You agree with this! Melinda she is going to hell for this, do you not understand!" The blond looked back out the window.

"I have to stop this." She said before disappearing. Melinda's eyes bulged and she looked back out the window to see the tree that the two sat under begin to waver and sway. One of the large branches snapped and came hurtling down.

"NO!" Melinda screamed. Luckily the two moved just in time to avoid the tree hitting either of them.


	2. Application

**Check out my myspace! hides_with_a_smile it will have updates on when i'll post on which fanfictions, it also has a few of my poems, and may even have its own story soon! but also i have an actual blog about things on my mind so yea now enjoy the post!**

"So you're saying that the mother almost killed her daughter because she saw her kissing another girl?" Jim asked trying to make sense of it. He was preparing dinner while Melinda got a glass of water.

"That's what I'm saying." She said taking a sip. "I just can't get over how upset she got. I mean Amy is smoking and the mothers biggest fear is that she's in love with a girl?" Jim nodded thinking.

"Well she's catholic, I mean what else can you expect?" He said finishing the meal. Melinda sighed admitting defeat while she grabbed two plates.

"I know, but I mean what mother would want to kill their daughter. That's what I can't get over." The two sat down and began to eat.

* * *

The next morning Melinda crossed the square to open her shop, after saying hello to Jim and a few of his friends. She noticed that Amy was standing next to the shop with her I-pod. "Hello?" Melinda said confused. Amy looked up startled.

"Oh sorry, I uh. I just wanted to see more things." The girl said making it sound more like a question. Melinda looked at the brunette confused but let her in still.

"Anything in specific you're looking for?" She asked as she walked over to the counter, setting her purse on it.

"No, not really." Amy said. But she was looking for something, her eyes scanned every inch of the store. Melinda watched her closely, and cautiously. "You mind if I check out the back?" Amy asked suddenly, pointing to the back entrance.

"Well the stuff back there isn't really out for sale just yet." Melinda explained.

"For future reference though." Amy persisted.

"Did you forget something when you last came here?" Melinda asked leaning against the counter. Amy's face lit up and she nodded.

"Yeah, so do you mind if I go look for it?" Melinda was still iffy about the girl. She just seemed a little too anxious. Eventually she gave in letting the girl look. "Thanks." She said. Melinda nodded but kept an ear out for her. She didn't know what the girl was up to but she felt it wasn't anything good.

Delia wasn't going to be in until late, she was showing a house.

"I…here…" Melinda heard the girl in the back whispering, to who though? Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening causing the bell to ring.

"Oh," Melinda said with a jump. "Hello, how may I help you?" She didn't realize till now that it was the girl that she and Brittany had seen kissing Amy.

"Oh, um a friend told me about this place, I just couldn't resist." She said with a smile. Melinda smiled back.

"Well you're free to browse and if you need anything let me know."

The girl now had long Brown-Blonde hair, light freckles, dark blue eyes, hidden behind a pair of square black glasses. Her clothing was all Abbey Dawn, definitely a die-hard Avril Lavigne fan. "Actually I was hoping maybe you had some old music items." The girl said. Melinda looked around.

"Um, not really, unless you want an old piano?"

"No, it's fine. Um what about applications? Are you guys hiring?" Melinda was taken aback by the question. She hadn't really thought about hiring anyone besides Delia, but if she did then no doubt she would be able to get closer to Amy.

"FILTH!" Brittany screamed startling Melinda. She was suddenly in the corner of the shop.

"Oh, wow, um you know what, why not, just um, give me a second to create an application. We don't usually hire, or well no one really asks. I'll-"

"Michelle?!" Shouted Amy as she ran back to the front. The two looked at her in surprise.

"Ame's? What are you doing he-"

"NO!" Amy yelled running towards Michelle pushing her out of the way before a wine glass hit her. "Chelle, you ok?" she asked. Michelle nodded and the two began to stand back up.

"Are you?"

"I'm fine, come on, we need to go." the brunette said eagerly.

"Oh, wait!" Meinda called.

"Thank you for your time." Amy called over her shoulder, and before Melinda could say another word they were gone, out the store, and Brittany had followed.


End file.
